'Living life tomorrow's fate, though thou be wise,
Thou canst not tell nor yet surmise.
Pass therefore not today in vain,
For it will never come again.'
Statue of Omar Khayyám
in Neishabour, Khorasan, Iran
The Life and Influence of Omar Khayyám
Omar Khayyám was an esteemed mathematician, philosopher and astronomer, although he is mostly known for his poetry and scientific writings. As an influential scholar of the medieval period, he contributed his writings to the world and affected the thinking of those who read his work.
Mathematics
Omar Khayyám published a work called Treatise on Demonstration of Problems of Algebra in the year 1070. This brilliant work outlined solutions to various degrees of equations in arithmetic and geometry, which lead to the development of algebra that was later discovered in Europe and transferred around the world. Included in this work are the general methods used to solve cubic equations and other higher order solutions.
Khayyám also authored Explanations of the Difficulties in the Postulates of Euclid, in 1077. Here, he discusses Euclid's parallel postulate, the Euclidean definition of ratios, and the multiplication of ratios. This three-part work, and some other related works, lead to advancements in geometry due to his unique explanations.
The solution to cubic equations that Khayyám developed was rather philosophical. His approach involved line segments, not numbers, as the solution. His explanation was the first of its kind, and was the beginning of solving cubic equations. This work was later applied to fourth degree equations.
Three quarters of a century following his death, his theory regarding conic sections being used in the solution of cubic equations was finally proven.
Astronomy
Khayyám outlined the beginnings of heliocentric theory. This idea involves the sun as the center of the universe, which astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus later developed and expanded upon.
Helocentric theory challenged the ideas of the time, which included the thought that the Earth is at the center of a revolving universe. Khayyám held a demonstration before then respected scholar Imam Ghazali and a surrounding audience that explained his theory. His explanation included that Earth revolves on an axis. He was also among the group who calculated the solar year at approximately 365 days.
Khayyám also contributed to the idea of calendar reform. He specifically introduced the changes made to the Persian calendar in 1079 that were accepted by Sultan Malik Shah of Persia. This calendar was later introduced to Iran and Afghanistan, which is very similar to the one used today. His ideas were based on the form of the Hindu calendar, in which the months are between 29 and 32 days. The length of each month is based on the position of the sun relative to zodiacal zones.
Sultan Malik-Shah I invited Khayyám, along with other prominent scientists, to build an observatory.
Another contribution to astronomy he made, which is now lost, was a star map.
First edition of 'Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám'
(translated by Edward FitzGerald),
the Astronomer-Poet of Persia (1859)
Poetry
Khayyám is known more widely for his poetic work the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. This book of poetry consists of four thousand lines broken into quatrains (four-line verses). The most well known translation of his work is the English version translated by Edward FitzGerald. Translations in other languages also exist, and it is in fact this work of poetry that made Khayyám famous, rather than is other contributions in math or science.
As a poet, he was able to influence the societies and literature of many countries. Khayyám was studied by many scholars, the most influential being FitzGerald, however the first scholar to study his work was a man named Thomas Hyde, from England.
The Philosophy of his writings
In the Rubáiyát, Khayyám's philosophy was reflected. He believed that the sensual pleasures that we experience are merely depictions of a deeper joy within ourselves. Truth does not lay within external pleasures.
He also expressed through his poetry that we as people only have a limited control of our destiny. We were not in control of the place and time of our birth into the world, and we do not have full control over death. Our death is inevitable.
His mental and emotional battle with existence, life and death, reflected and influenced thinkers all over the world. He believed that life is to be enjoyed, as we have little control over when it will end, and we cannot stop it from ending.
The essential point of his writings expressed the need for humanity to explore the soul rather than to focus on the physical. Love and joy matter more than shallow pleasures. It is through the understanding of the evolution of the soul that we can influence our lives and those around us. This will in turn affect the society in the future.
To this day, Omar Khayyám is respected for his existential philosophy and poetic expression of his beliefs about and struggles with the limitations of human life. While he is not famous because of his mathematic and astronomical contributions, he is also remembered and respected for those efforts. Though he lived about a thousand years ago, his influence reaches us today.
